Monday, March 16, 2015

Granada: Flirting and Fame

Last week I jumped on the opportunity
to join a group of 13-14 year olds from my teaching job on a school trip to Granada's
Science Park and the Alhambra. I've always loved seeing the old
fortress, and it was my first time at the Science Park. Watching the
kids, I remembered the dynamics of my childhood: the girls who showed up
wearing the same clothes and makeup (did I really go to school
wearing shorts that short? Probably.); the awkward boys
learning how to be affectionate with the females; the kids who cared more about running around on the playground than having a boyfriend; the young
couples.

Observing the first group, the 'it'
girls, was interesting. Whether it's a result or a cause of Facebook
and Instagram, they took photos against every backdrop possible,
posing as if they were in a photoshoot. Most of the time, they'd stand against
a blank wall, only caring that the lighting was good. One of the
teachers was obviously disgusted, commenting on their behaviour both
to them and to us, the monitors. I thought it was ridiculous too, but I
remembered being image-obsessed back then. (P.S.
Nothing's changed. Haha)

Granada's a very popular
city for tourists, so the girls met a group of Americans from
Connecticut, in the Science Park. I was so proud that they were able
to practice their English in a fun way, by flirting. Numbers were
exchanged within minutes. When we parted, the girls immediately sent
flirty Whatsapp messages to the American boys.

“Teacher, I spoke English with a boy!
He's my friend now!”

“Well, that was fast,” I thought.
“A phone number in five minutes? That teenager's got more skills
than me.”